


Children of the Moon

by Westdragoner



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fantasy, Flushed Romance | Matesprits, Pale Romance | Moirallegiance, Shapeshifters - Freeform, Sparse drug use, Werewolves, and by that I mean the makaras, and not a lot of fantasy, but then it switched and now it's pretty much all fantasy, i love Kurloz so much in this, love me some hoof boys, this is turning out really well so far, this was originally going to be super romantic, you don't understand
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-18
Updated: 2015-10-20
Packaged: 2018-04-15 10:52:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4604004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Westdragoner/pseuds/Westdragoner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jade Harley has always loved the moon. To her, the moon is a constant friend in an otherwise lonely life. When walking in the dark one night, she is attacked by a strange creature, and is subsequently thrust into a world of magic and hidden sorrows, stumbling upon a millenia-old feud between two celestial bodies and a group of immortal beings caught between the two.</p><p>A new life will be started, and a war will be waged.</p><p>A/N: If someone wants to be my sounding board for this fic, please send me a message! I need an editor and a sounding board!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Honestly Feeling So Attacked

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! It's my very first fic I've ever posted on here! Yay me! Please let me know what you think, I'm looking for a lot of constructive criticism. I hope you enjoy it!

I've always loved the moon.

I suppose it came around as a result of how late I stayed up, and the midnight drives I took when I was feeling down. The moon was my comforter, my cheerleader. She was such a beautiful being to gaze at, and never as harsh as her brother the sun. She helped me feel like I was a little less alone in this wide world.

That is, until I met some people who adored the moon even more than I did.

==>

It was late at night, and I was just closing up work. I usually got out earlier, around ten or so, but I had had so much to do that it was now one in the morning. Work had been way too busy, and I hadn't had much of a break all day, so I was eager to get home.

As I locked the door and stepped out into the parking lot, I pulled my jacket a little closer around me. It was early fall, and a chill wind was blowing. Dead leaves tumbled past my feet as I began the long trek to my car on the far side of the dimly lit lot. Many of the lights were burnt out, and management never acknowledged my request to replace them, so I was stuck making the journey to my car in near darkness.

Gravel crunched loudly under my feet and a rancid, musty scent wafted through the air. The smell made my nose wrinkle in disgust and I looked around for the source. I looked warily at the large bushes that lined the edge of the pavement. Employees were required to park on the far edge of the lot, which I felt was dangerously ridiculous. Those bushes scared the fuck out of me this late at night.

I pulled my pepper spray out of my purse and held it readily in hand. Safety first. I'm small, 5'2", only weigh about 105 on a good day. I was extremely nervous, jumping at every sound and straining to hear movement over the sound of my footsteps.

I heard a rustling come from one of the bushes just behind the car and I stopped, listening hard and staring in the direction it had come. Goosebumps raised up and down my arms as it came again, louder this time.

I plucked up my courage and called out to whatever it was. "Is someone there? Leave me alone, I have a gun!" I bluffed in as confident a voice I could manage. "I will fuck your day up, pal, I swear to god!"

The lot was silent, except for the whistling of the wind. I could feel my heart pounding, my breathing ragged and loud in the stillness. It was as if the darkness was pressing in on me from all sides.

It started so soft I barely realized it was there, but soon the metallic screeching noise built to a crescendo so loud I had to cover my ears. I began to run to the car, stumbling and slow at first. I almost tripped, off balance from the noise ringing in my ears and the darkness around me.

The noise stopped as I reached for the car door handle, hands shaking. I could feel moistness on my face, and I was cursing under my breath. I fumbled with my keys so badly that they slipped from my fingers and under the car.

I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, and looking through the car window I could see a menacing black shape moving towards me. Grabbing my keys, I jerked upright, yanked the door open, and clambered quickly inside.

Still terrified, I locked the doors and attempted to stick the key in the ignition, but my hands were shaking so badly that I kept missing the keyhole. Through my terror I finally jammed the key in and turned the car on. The headlights flared to life, revealing a large creature that stood on its hind legs, a good foot and a half taller than me. It was covered in pitch black fur, and it snarled at me before darting out of the light on animalistic hind legs. I slammed on the gas to get myself the hell out of there.

I heard a very heavy thump on the roof of my car.

"Jesus fucking Christ!"I screamed as my driver's side window shattered, and strong jaws clamped down on my upraised arm. I tried to beat the thing back to no avail.

"Get the fuck off me!"

I could see its giant claws wrapped around my car door. They were so sharp they left gauges on the windshield as the creature scrabbled for purchase.

The creature's guttural noises, coupled with the screeching of my tires, made for a dark cacophony of sounds as I began to swerve wildly. My left arm was no longer responding to my commands and the creature had begun to shake my arm like a rag doll. I could feel my arm breaking over and over, muscles and bones alike no match for its powerful jaws. The border of the parking lot loomed in front of my lights and suddenly there were trees in front of me. I tried to turn away, to slam on the brakes, something, but at that moment the creature ripped the door from its hinges and bit me in the shoulder.

Its maw was so large it engulfed me all the way to my neck. I felt myself being pulled from the car and my hands lost their tentative grip on the wheel. I slammed into two trees that were close together and blacked out.

I drifted in and out of consciousness after that, my dreams and waking moments filled with flashing lights, people I didn't recognize, and finally the bright, sterile atmosphere of a hospital. The first time I was able to stay awake enough to be lucid, I was mostly by myself. A lone nurse sat at a table in my room reading a romance novel.

Everything ached, badly. Very badly. My throat felt like it had been punched in, one eye was swollen shut and the other would only open halfway. I tried to sit up on my own and a searing pain shot down my left side and my spine. I cried out, and the nurse looked up. I slumped back to the bed, but instead of receding, the pain increased until my body decided I should probably be unconscious again.


	2. Sneakin around

The next time I awoke, it was dark. The clock on the wall read 3:00. Rain lashed against the window and a roll of thunder echoed through the room. The nurse was nowhere to be seen, but light spilling from the cracked hallway door brought with it the sounds of the hospital at night. 

I coughed, and my attention was brought to the breathing tube lodged in my throat. The coughing caused painful spasms up and down my spine. I fought to keep myself still, shivering with the effort of holding it in and slowly my breathing returned to normal. 

When my barely responsive body finally calmed down to a strong ache in most places, I began to take stock of my wounds. By the light from the hallway, I could see a small amount of blood seeping from the wound on my shoulder. It felt as if my collarbone was broken, and I couldn't move my left arm at all. The whole thing was wrapped in linens but I couldn't wiggle the fingers peeking out the end.

I thought maybe my back was broken, and I had one of those neck things they put on you when you hurt your neck. Even lifting my right arm very high was painful.

I couldn't turn my head, but I began feeling around for a remote to call the nurse. My fingers searched the dark bed sheets for a time before I heard the click of the door shutting.

Then I heard the click of the lock.

I felt my heartbeat speed up. There was someone in my hospital room. Someone dangerous, else they wouldn't have locked the door. Terror raced through my veins as I heard soft footsteps come towards my bed. I couldn't move in my condition, I couldn't even cry out for help. If whoever it was wanted to kill me, they could.

I kept absolutely still as whoever it was walked past me, over to the window. Then to my surprise, I heard a second set of feet over by the side of my bed, a soft sigh on my other side, and a cough over near the opposite wall. There were multiple people in my room.

I jumped at the sound of the blinds being pulled up, and shut my good eye to make it look like I was sleeping. The room was no longer pitch black, but I was afraid to look at my visitors straight on. I heard the window being pushed open, and could smell the scent of late night humidity, feel mist from the rain still lashing at the building.

"Let's get this over with, I've got a show on in twenty minutes," I heard a man whisper. There was boredom and a hint of irritation in it.

One set of footsteps approached the end of my bed. "We know you're awake," it said in a monotone, male voice. "Open your eyes."

I hesitated before I cracked my good eye and peeked out. Soft light came from the street lamps in the parking lot, but the blinds had only been pulled halfway up the window and so the faces of the six figures arranged around my bed were in shadow.

The tube in my throat wouldn't let me speak, but I whimpered quietly, partly from fear and partly from pain. The short figure next to me squeaked indignantly.

"Karkat!" The feminine voice whispered, anger suffusing her voice. "You hurt her so much! Look at the purr girl!"

"She does look like some serious shit," another woman's voice said, a cackle in her voice. "Nice going, Karkles."

"Oh, well, excuse me for fucking existing, but I seem to recall that this mess isn't entirely my own fucking fault alone, and may I suggest you all procure an enormous amount of phalluses, place them in a sack, and then proceed to eat them. Anyway, fuck you Terezi, this is Dave's fault, not mine," snarled a new male voice.

"Fuckin' shut up," the bored voice snapped. "I didn't touch her at all, so don't even try and pin your shortcomings on me."

"Fuck you, asshole, you forgot to lock the fucking door in the goddamn first place, which is how I even go out to hurt her, so unless I'm entirely off the mark here, I will indeed pin this all onto the front of your ridiculous fucking hoodie, which who even wears hoodies anymore, you look so super fucking gay-"

"Hey, Karkat, if you want me to take my clothes off, you can just ask nicely, you know?" replied the no longer bored voice flirtatiously. The one with a seriously crabby attitude began to shout obscenities again, with the first female trying to quiet him down and the second boy and girl cackling gleefully in the background. For a stealth operation this really wasn't going very well for them.

The efforts of the girl to silence them were not working until one voice rang out above the others, not with volume, but authority. "This is a welcoming party, not a debate team, so shut up," it commanded with the air of someone who didn't much care if they quieted down or not, and each of the others stopped bickering instantly. It was the one who had ordered me to open my eyes.

He was standing at the end of the bed, staring unwaveringly at me. Though his face was in shadow and I could not make out any details, his eyes seemed to have a glow from within and for a second I felt as if I were being watched by an animal in a dark forest.

He reached toward the end of my bed and grabbed what I assumed was my medical history clipboard. "So your name is Jade," he said, reading from it (though how he managed to read in such darkness was beyond me), "Jade Harley. What a pleasure to meet you, Miss Daley." He looked back down at me, speaking like someone who had a task to do but didn't seem particularly interested in doing it. "It's unfortunate what happened to you, and I do apologize for our little...accident." At this, his eyes shifted momentarily to the one called Karkat, though he mentioned no names and did not elaborate on the matter. Karkat fidgeted restlessly before their leader continued.

"Miss Daley, do you know who we are?" he inquired, his piercing gaze once again leveled on me. I grunted a negative answer, and he continued.

"We are shape shifters, or to be more precise, lycanthropes," he continued, "and since you have been bitten by one of us, you soon will be too. I am sorry for-"

At this point he stopped, irritated at the fact that I had started giggling, which soon grew into a coughing laughter, my throat painfully convulsing around my breathing tube in sheer, utter disbelief. The figures looked at each other, probably unsure what to do next now that I obviously didn't believe their delusions. 

"Fine, what the fuck ever," he spat. "You can just sit here, all alone, in your little hospital bed, until you finally decide to show some goddamn respect, ya stupid bitch." And with that insult, he crossed to the window and jumped to the tree that was close to the building.

I tried to calm myself before I ended up opening one of the stitches I no doubt had, though my whole left side and back were once again in a lot of pain. Tears came to my eyes and I couldn't tell if it was from laughter or how much I freaking hurt everywhere.

Suddenly I heard voices from outside, then the doorknob rattling. Loud pounding on the door and angry yelling spooked my visitors into action, and before my eyes they scampered to the window, cursing under their breath and throwing themselves out into the storm one by one. A final interloper hesitated before his departure, quickly coming over to the side of my bed. "Hey, sucks to suck, but I'll come by and say hi soon. Don't worry about it, kid."

At that moment, the door swung open, and light suffused the room, along with indignant shrieks from the nurses as the strange boy pulled the hood of his red jacket over his platinum blonde hair and leapt out the window to the trees just past the sill.  
The orderlies rushed to my bedside, chanting a chorus of "Are you okay?" "Did he attack you?!?" "Who was that strange man?" and the like.

One woman, however, ran to the window. "How the hell did he survive that?!? We're on the fourth floor!"

==>

Since I was awake for the first time in a week, my family was called and I was able to speak with the doctor about my condition. I was told that my spine had broken, but with lots of therapy I should be able to walk in a few months. My throat had been almost seriously injured when it connected with my steering wheel, but once the bruises healed I would be able to talk again. My left arm, however, was a completely different story. 

My forearm was broken in three places alone, but my upper arm had been shattered. Completely. There was a very, very low chance of them being able to repair it with surgery, but considering how much of my muscle had been severed from my shoulder, it was nearly impossible that I would ever be able to use it again.

I sat in shocked silence before I began to cry, and the doctor quietly excused himself. I asked my family to leave when the nurse came in to give me my pain meds, and as I drifted off to sleep I cursed whatever had done this to me, be it shape-shifters or something else.


	3. Cool Kids Don't Die

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, basically everyone in the story is also a shifter, but just because they have an affiliation with a specific animal in the comic doesn't mean they will be that same animal. I'd like to make them similar, but still separate enough to be original and tie into the story more. Plus some I just picked cause they are cool fucking animals, like the one in this chapter. If you don't know what it looks like, I suggest you look it up!

Days passed in a blur, and though the surgery was a success, I still mourned the loss of most of the function of my arm. I woke up every few hours with tears on my face and screams lodged in my bruised throat. They started giving me stronger medication, to knock me out for longer amounts of time, but I still woke every few hours no matter what they put in my IV.

My time in the hospital was hell, that's all there is to it. I could barely swallow anything, could hardly speak, even when they took the breathing tube out. By the end of the first week I was going stir crazy, so when one of my previous visitors showed up late one night, I was almost glad.

==>

He snuck through my window when I was awake, jumping from the closest branch to the floor of my room. The drugs in my system had long since worn off for the night. The lights from outside shone a sickly yellow on his red hoodie, and though it was past midnight he was wearing pitch black sunglasses. 

"Sup," he said, sticking his hands in his pockets. "Remember me?"

"You're one of those kids, aren't you?" I rasped, my throat still a little swollen. "Dave, right?"

"Right on the nose. How are you feeling?"

"They've had to put me on stronger medication," I said, "and I probably won't be able to move my arm much anymore."

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said, crossing the room to the chair by my bedside. As he sat he pulled something out of his pocket. "The gang got this for you."

He handed me the small brown package and a card, helping me to open them with only one hand. I saw that the card was a get well card, signed by many hands. The package itself held a black collared polo, and from the looks of it, it was very expensive.  
"What is this for?" I asked, confused.

"The gang signed the card, and Karkat feels bad about ruining your shirt, so he bought you a new one," he replied.

"What the fuck?"

"It's to replace your work shirt," he said again.

"No, like, seriously, what the fuck? How did you know what I was wearing? You weren't there, there's no way you knew what I was doing-" my outburst was cut short as my sore throat launched a volley of coughs through my windpipe.

"Whoa, sister, slow down a little," he said, leaning towards me on the edge of his seat. "I'll explain anything you want, just don't over exert yourself, kay?"

I took a second to compose myself, drew a couple deep breaths, and nodded suspiciously at him. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes under his sunglasses with a drawn out sigh. "If you are really a supernatural creature, then I want you to prove it," I ordered.

Again, he sighed long and loud, like he couldn't be bothered to move from his chair after sitting down so recently. "Fine, whatever," he said, pulling himself to his feet in one fluid movement. He went to stand by the end of my bed, and though he was facing me I couldn't tell if his eyes were closed or on mine.

He stood still for a second, breathing deeply, then he crouched and quickly leapt into the air onto my bed. But instead of landing as a hipster teenager on the end of my bed, he changed. At the apex of his jump he sprouted feathers from his hoodie sleeves, and his skin rippled as feathers erupted from his face, jacket, jeans, hair. By the time he reached the point right above my bedspread he was a giant bird, with a black hooked beak and a set of wicked claws to match. His head was steel grey, with a little tuft of black feathers protruding from the back. His wings were black, his chest white. His wingspan was larger than the length of my bed. 

He flapped his wings quickly, settling himself gently on my blanket as I sat in stunned silence. When my speechlessness continued, he walked as carefully as he could to within arms reach. My shaking hand rose and pet from his head down his back. His plumage was beautiful.

I gently opened his wings and inspected the feathers hidden underneath. He shook his wings out from my grip and flapped back over to the chair he had vacated, changing back into a person before he landed and falling neatly into the seat.

"That good enough for you?" he asked. I could only nod in silent wonder.

"What kind of bird is that?" I asked curiously.

"Oh, that? I'm a fuckin harpy eagle, you know, nothin special, just the most badass bird on the planet," he smirked.

"What will I turn into?" I asked, apprehensive. I didn't know if I liked what I heard.

"I don't know what animal you'll be," he said. "But I can tell you everything I know."

"Please do," I begged.

He settled back into his chair. "Okay, well, first things first, we're fuckin shape-shifters. We can turn into one animal and one animal only, but that animal is different for each person. We don't really know how the animal choice corresponds to the person, it has something to do with personality but we can't really predict it before they change.

"Second, there are two ways you can change into your animal aspect: half and full. If you're half changed, you're pretty much runnin around on your hind legs and have hands but you have fur, wings, antlers, scales, the like. Full change, you fully resemble your aspect, down to the smallest detail, but you have less human brain and more animal. It can be difficult to control instincts, especially when you first become a shifter.

"You can change into either form any time with practice, but on nights of the full moon you change halfway all night and you lose your humanity. Essentially, we're very similar to traditional werewolves, just more varied.

"And there's one more thing I want you to know," he said, leaning forward. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "What happened to you, the attack, it was horrific. And I understand this is all very strange to you. But the first change doesn't happen until the full moon, and right now that's three weeks away. And, thing is, shifters have...abilities, that normal humans don't have."

"What do you mean?" I asked, intrigued.

His face turned toward mine, and though he was wearing dark sunglasses I knew he was looking me in the eye. "Your injuries will heal completely before the next full moon," he said. "You'll be able to use your arm again."

I found it difficult to breathe for a moment. "Really?"

He reached out and took my hand. "I know it sounds too good to be true, really I do. But you have to understand that most of us were turned through traumatic ways, just like you. The closer it gets to the full moon, the faster you'll heal, I promise."

He stood and stretched, his red hoodie riding up his toned stomach to reveal an intricate tattoo that was probably a gear, though I didn't catch more than a glimpse before he was straightening up and heading towards the window again. "I gotta go; its getting late, and you need your beauty sleep."

"When will you be back?" I asked. "Should I expect another break in sometime soon?"

He laughed, taking his sunglasses off and putting them in his hoodie pocket. "Not unless you want some company, in which case my number's in the card."

He turned away from me, climbing onto the windowsill and perching like the bird he was. His toes dangled over the four story drop as he rocked back and forth on his heels, eyes closed, nose turned to the wind.

"Have you ever fallen in love with the wind?" he whispered, almost reverently. Hie looked back over his shoulder at me, and his startlingly blood red eyes were fully illuminated for the first time. "I'm almost hoping you're a bird, so I can finally share the skies with someone else."

And with those quiet, cryptic words, he leapt out into the starry night, leaving nothing behind but a single black feather floating to the tiled floor.


	4. Let John Eat Cake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Filler chapter filler chapter filler chapter

Dave's strange words rang in my ears for days after his appearance, and I found myself obsessing over them. I noticed my body healing more each day, but I didn't start to entertain the thought that hey, he might be telling the truth until a few days later when the doctor was examining my injuries.

He had been gently removing the bandages from my arm and chatting amicably to the me when he stopped and gave my arm a strange look. He looked closer, a surprised expression on his face. "What the...What in the world!"

"What?" I asked sharply.

"Look," he said, gesturing to my uncovered arm.

I looked, and the bruising usually prevalent over my whole left side had now become a mottled yellow, taking on the appearance of bruises that were quickly healing. The bite and claw marks had all but faded away.

The doctor unwrapped the rest of my arm, eyes growing wider and wider as each new inch of skin was exposed and confirmed to be mostly healed. "Wiggle your fingers," he said when he reached my hand.

I did as asked, and to my surprise I could wiggle them much more than previously. I was also able to squeeze the doctor's hand when asked to do so, though I still had not regained my full hand strength. A quick examination of my various other injuries indicated that I was indeed healing much faster than I should have been. The doctor was flabbergasted.

"You look like you've been here a month, not a week and a half," he told me. "If this keeps up, you'll be out in no time!" 

==>

No time came soon enough, and every day my wounds disappeared, faster and faster. Within a day I could turn my head with no problem and lift my arms above my head. Three days later I took my first tentative steps. It felt so nice to be able to use an actual toilet for the first time in weeks.

Less than 24 hours after my feet first touched floor, I gave in to the boredom and began to tear the monitors from my body. "I'm ready, I'm leaving," I told the nurse. "Get me my discharge papers and call my parents."

The doctor took one look at me, standing tall less than a month after a life threatening accident, and just shook his head. "Try not to get in more trouble, kid," he laughed as he signed the papers.

==>

My family was shocked but elated when I hobbled into the hospital lobby. The doctor had insisted I at least use a crutch until I could walk with absolutely no pain, which at the rate I was healing would probably be sometime tonight. My mother insisted I move out of my tiny studio and back into their house, just to keep an eye on me while I healed completely. As my car was now a small pile of scrap in a junkyard somewhere, I accepted and let my stepbrother John move all my things for me while I sat on the couch and played Skyrim.

"You're such a faker, Jade," John said, walking in front of the TV as slowly as he could while carrying what looked like a very heavy box. "You're walking around fine now, you don't have a scratch on you. Quit making me do all your dirty work." As he passed me, he kicked the leg I still had a limp on.

"Ow," I said, even though it didn't hurt.

"See? You literally were unable to walk a week ago, now you're just being sarcastic and lazy." He set the box down on the coffee table, right in front of my view.

"You'd better move that, nerdboy," I said, trying to see around the box to where my character was fighting a mob of bandits. 

"Or you'll what, grandma, smack me with your cane?"

"Bend over and I might," I laughed.

He jumped away from my reach and began to twerk around the living room.

"Mom, John's tweaking in the living room again!" I shouted. "Make him stop!"

John and I froze as a bellowing sound started in the kitchen, growing louder and louder until my father ran screaming into the room, a frosted pink cake in one hand and a tobacco pipe in the other. 

Johns face drained of color, and he spun around, screaming and trying to make a dash for the front door, but my father's aim was true as ever. John landed face first, cake covering his entire head and upper back. 

The sound of cake splatting against my brother was always the best thing about living at home.

==>

The next day, when everyone else was out of the house, I decided to get some sun for the first time in a while. Though it was chilly, the sun was warm, and I curled up in the garden with a good book for a few hours.

Nice to see you up and moving about," came a voice from behind me, startling me from my reading trance.

I turned to see Dave perched on a tree branch some twenty feet off the ground. He was wearing a red plaid flannel button down, and his trademark sunglasses. His platinum hair was hidden under a black beanie, and his skinny jeans had aesthetic rips and tears all throughout the front. 

"Yeah, the doctors let me out yesterday. My miraculous recovery has them completely baffled. Do you just like never take your sunglasses off or something?" I asked with a smile.

"Only when I'm flying at night," he replied, wings sprouting from his back as he leapt/swooped down to me. "People aren't cool enough to see my eye color in the day." His wings shrunk back into his shirt and he shoved his hands in his pants pockets.

"So how did you find me?" I asked. "Have you guys been stalking me?"

"Nah, just me," he laughed. "Actually, I just have really good eyesight and I was told to find you. So here I am."

His posture grew tense, and I could sense his anticipation and excitement. "There's something I have to show you," he said, more serious than I had heard him before. "Something you have to see. Something important."

I shook my head at him, giggles falling from my lips. "Dave, you are the biggest freaking dork, I swear to god."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read an msparp of twerking eridan terrorizing the forums a while back, and haven't been able to get it out of my head since.
> 
> Also is it possible that I will ever stop writing Dave saying such cryptic things and being the biggest freaking drama queen? Probably not.
> 
> The biggest thing I'll say is this: literally one of my favorite chapters I've ever written I being posted in a few minutes. I rushed through this one and didn't bother editing so I could post the next one. It's where things start getting good. Seriously, I'm like shaking with excitement.
> 
> As always, leave a review and let me know how you liked it!


	5. Just Call Me Dad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, guys
> 
> My favorite chapter
> 
> THE PLOT THICKENS
> 
> Edit: changed some of the lore that rubbed me the wrong way.

Driving in a car was something strangely normal, and not a setting I thought I would ever see Dave in. But it was faster than I could walk, and a long way to where we were going. We drove deep into the mountains, deeper than I had ever had reason to visit. When we reached a rest point, we parked the car and began to trek into the woods.

"Next time you come this way, you won't need a car," Dave told me as I plodded along, a few hours after we began our climb, ever higher into the mountains. I was out of breath but he showed no signs of fatigue, though the terrain was very difficult.

"How...can you...be so...in shape?" I huffed, bending over to catch my breath. "I need a break."

He smirked. "I'm a magical fucking creature, we don't get tired. Now come on, it's only a little further."

I straightened up, groaning, and followed my guide through the closely set trees. The last vestiges of sunlight filtered down through the leaves, and soon it would be dark, well before true sunset. The forest canopy swallowed twilight and would leave us navigating our way in inky blackness if we didn't arrive soon. Dave's eyesight might have been unparalleled during the day, but at night it was worse than mine. And with no way to light a fire, we would be in for one cold, dark night.

I was pulled from my worries a few minutes later when Dave grabbed my wrist and slowed his pace. "We're here," he whispered in my ear.

"What's here-?" I began, but Dave quickly shushed me.

"Keep your voice down, and watch where you step," he ordered.

A few seconds later, we broke through the trees and came into a very large clearing. From where we were standing, the ground sloped gently downwards for about fifty yards in a bowl shape, and all over the bowl were giant stone monuments, each of varying sizes. The largest ones were thirty or forty feet high, and the smallest were just over seven feet tall. Each one was placed in what seemed at first a random position, but the more I looked, the more I detected a pattern. It seemed like they were centered around a circle of stones in the middle of the clearing. Each monument was covered in strange etchings, pictures and symbols. None of them made any sense to me.

"What is this place?" I whispered, reverence and awe in my voice.

"Stay close to me," Dave whispered back, pulling me a little behind him. "And for fuck's sake, be quiet."

The dying light of the sun was stronger here, but already shadows had begun to creep around behind the stones. Though a few times I thought I saw movement, each time my eyes flashed to the spot it seemed there was nothing to be found.

As we journeyed further past the monuments, I felt more and more the feeling of being watched, and now I was certain there were multiple beings moving around, just outside of my vision. As the darkness grew so too did my fear. The hand Dave didn't have wrapped in his own came up to tightly grip his shoulder, and my eyes flitted back and forth, back and forth, searching but not able to pinpoint anything living.

My breathing grew quick and shallow as the sun finally sank, and I tried my best to not make much noise as we approached the center ring. My heart felt like it would beat right out of my chest, and I couldn't help but let out a loud shriek when something darted past us, disappearing behind one of the rocks ahead of us.

Instantly a multitude of pinpricks of light flared to life in the darkness, of varying colors and distances from us. Some were atop rocks, some were much closer than they should have been. It wasn't until I saw Dave's face, the snarl on his lips and red orbs lit with fire within, that I realized what the lights were.

They were shifter eyes.

I opened my mouth to scream again, and Dave slapped his hand over my mouth. "Shut the fuck up!" he hissed quietly. "They can smell your fear, and you're still mostly human! You need to calm the fuck down!"

I gripped his arm and tried to get control of my heaving breaths before I hyperventilated, and slowly the lights began to snuff themselves out, or blink lazily and turn away. When I was no longer in danger of screaming, Dave removed his hand and wordlessly pulled me into the center of the circle.

As he stepped into the ring, he slowed, then grimaced like he was in pain. He doubled over with a groan, and I could see the feathers rippling under his skin. I stepped back as his wings forced themselves out of his back, and his legs bent themselves backwards. His shoes were torn to shreds as clawed talons shot out of them, and feathers traveled up his legs. He began to scream as his neck twisted backwards, and suddenly his human visage was replaced by that of the harpy eagle.

There was no longer a boy by my side, but a wildly shrieking and flailing bird. It flapped upwards, sending dust into my eyes, and I threw my arm up to shield my face as it flew to the top of the closest stone monolith. Its red eyes pierced me and it let out a shrill cry.

Clouds had covered the night sky, and though the moon was slowly making its way to its zenith I could barely see. Panic suffused my mind as eyes stared at me from the inky blackness, their silhouettes large and imposing.

"Are you frightened?" came a quiet voice from behind me. I jumped at the sound, and spun on my heels to see a humanoid figure emerge from behind one of the stones. 

"Who are you? Are you a shifter, too?" I tried to keep the tremble from my voice as much as I could. 

The creature turned towards one of the stones and placed a clawed human hand upon its surface. From beneath its palm a bluish white light spread through the symbols etched into the monument, spreading from one stone to the next. The whole clearing was soon lit with the pulsing light, and for the first time I could see everything.

All throughout the clearing, animals with glowing eyes were peering at me around the stones, some looking down at me from the tops of the monoliths, some pacing, but all had their eyes on me. Animals of all shapes and sizes were present: a few wolves, various big cats, a multitude of birds, bears, foxes, deer, elk, apes of all kinds, snakes, wild boar, even an elephant. But what drew my attention even more was the creature who had spoken to me.

It was about seven feet tall, and towered over my small stature. It stood on what appeared to be cloven hooves, and its lower half was covered in brown fur. No clothes hung from its muscular frame, and darting across its uncovered olive-toned skin were what seemed to be tattoos filled with a green light. An imposing set of antlers sprung from beneath unruly black locks, and animalistic eyes the color of thriving vegetation did nothing to decrease my fear.

"I am the father of the shifters," the creature said in a deep voice, "the first true shifter, firstborn of the Grand Highblood himself. I was there when the moon was a walker of the earth, and the sun followed in her footsteps. I was there when the ocean spoke to the wind, and when the stars sang lullabies to little children in twinkling voices late at night. I am older than everything you have ever known.

"I have seen mountains grow, vast forests turn to sprawling deserts, and the greatest civilizations in history rise and fall. I have been to places no human has ever been able to reach. I have been called by many names, though the first of all these is Kurloz Makara. You are a part of us now, child. I will let no harm befall you, so do not fear."

"I didn't ask for this," I said. "I don't know if I want this."

Kurloz's face fell. "Yes, and I am sorry that things have happened this way. The truth is, not one of us here had a choice to turn. Not even my father had a say in the matter. This was the work of a very jealous being, many millennia ago.

"At the beginning of time, the sun and the moon lived upon the earth. It was said that the sun's fury and the moon's beauty were unparalleled, in all of the cosmos. They were siblings, and they detested each other. The sun was loud, angry, and destructive, and the moon was gentle and kind. Eventually, the moon tired of the sun and she fled into the forest.

"There she met a simple huntsman, living deep in the woods, one who cared for the forest and its creatures like none other in the world. They fell in love, and the moon bore him a multitude of children, of which I was the first.

"But the sun had been searching for her, and one day he came upon the two bathing in a forest spring. Furious that she had fled from him, he cursed my father into a terrible, immortal form, and all his children into monsters, scattering us throughout the land. He then dragged the moon into the sky and trapped her there, and to this day she flees from him while he chases her across the sky.

"In his grief, my father used to cry to the moon every night, but for the last thousand years he has been slumbering deep in the earth, dreaming of retribution and his lost love.

"The sun drove my father to insanity, and turned my mother's love against her very children. When she looks down on us, every night of the full moon, we become the animal inside and out, and cannot control ourselves. That is why it is essential you complete your first turn tonight, and not tomorrow, when the moon's face is fully shone upon the world.

"My dear, know this: it was never a choice for any of us, but that doesn't mean you don't grow to love it. And I promise you, whatever animal the moon chooses for you, that animal is you in body and spirit. You will know yourself better for it."

He extended a clawed hand to me, a look of caring on his face. "I will show you secrets mortals only dream of, young one. You have entered a world of beauty and magic. Have faith."

Though I was still frightened, I steeled my nerves and placed my hand in his. His fingers curled gently around mine, and he led me to the center of the circle. 

"After our transformation, the people of the world feared us, but some revered us. A tribe of humans some ten thousand years ago by the name of the Ynni built this place for me and my kin. It connects us shifters to the moon, and lets her love flow freely through it to us. Though our bloodlust peaks on nights of the full moon, this place allows us to run without fear of being overtaken. Your first few turns will be here, so you don't hurt anyone on accident while you learn your animal side."

"Why did it force Dave to turn?" I asked.

"This whole clearing is suffused with animal energy, but this circle is the strongest. Dave was probably resisting for as long as he could, but could not fight the compulsion for long. His animal mind has mostly taken over right now, as have the minds of the other shifters turned animalistic. The moon is almost full tonight, and it gets harder to resist the larger the moon grows.

"Stand here," he said, indicating a small flat rock in the epicenter. "Don't move from that spot," he ordered and stepped back, to the far reaches of the circle.

"Are you ready to find out your true self, child?"

I swallowed hard. "I guess."

The animals in the clearing stood stock still, all attention focused on me. Kurloz lifted his arms to the sky, and his form shimmered and settled into a more wolf like one. His lower fur quickly turned to the color of moonlight, and swam across his skin till it covered every surface. His hooves grew into great big paws, and his clawed fingers grew longer and sharper. A long, fluffy tail shot out behind him, and his antlers shrunk into large tufted ears. His humanoid face grew elongated, and huge fangs peeked from beneath his lips. His eyes changed from leafy green to a blood red, more intense even than those of a certain harpy eagle, who was still perched nearby, glaring an eagle glare in your direction.

Kurloz had turned into a white werewolf.

"Dearest moon, mother of us all," he began, an almost deadly raspiness in his voice, "we celebrate the return of your fullest form, and we offer up your newest child, Jade Harley, in hopes that you examine her heart and help her realize her true form. Help her to better know herself." He then began to howl, and the animals around us screeched, barked, lowed, and just generally made a ruckus.

I could see the clouds had mostly pulled away from the shining moon, and when the edge of silver peeked out from behind their dark shadows I felt my heart fill with emotion. I could feel how much the moon cared for me, and how ecstatic she was that I was now her daughter. Her love for me surpassed that of the humans I called family. Her form swelled from nearly-full to full, and as she grew a beam of moonlight reached across the sky and alighted on my still figure.

I could taste magic and compassion and long summer nights and cold winter evenings and the wind in my hair and the caress of starlight on my cheek, and as I closed my eyes I could feel my skin begin to crawl. At first it was merely an itch, then it grew increasingly uncomfortable until my skin was splitting and hair was forcing its way through it, covering my whole body.

I cried out in pain, gritting my teeth against the screams lodged in my throat, and in my mind I could hear the moon crooning, 'you're doing so well, hold on just a little longer, it will be over soon...'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Show me some love, help me push through the next chapter. Reviews help spur me on!


	6. Moby Dickbag

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here have an update

I dreamed of the hunt.

I had caught the scent miles ago, my four giant paws thudding a restless tempo through the forest. My sides heaved as I expelled hot air, pushing my body faster and faster in pursuit of my unsuspecting prey. I could practically feel the miles melting away beneath my great loping strides.

Closer...

And closer...

And closer...

Until I burst forth from the underbrush in a graceful leap, claws outstretched, animalistic rage pouring from my mouth in a scream, the pale face of a hiker outlined in terror beneath me, this was it, this was the end for him...

Something struck my shoulder just inches away from my catch. I slammed into the ground, instantly rolling to my feet and snarling at my attacker for daring to think they could steal my rightful prey from me.

A cheetah stood between me and the human, who spun around and began to flee in the opposite direction. I tried to feint around the other cat, but it was much faster than me, blocking all my attempts. I screamed my rage at it, white fangs flashing, fur standing on end, tail twitching.

It growled back at me, its whole body a taut string, ready to cut me off should I move in any direction.

I swiped at it, my claws extended in a parody of death. It jumped away and began to taunt me, coming in close and jumping back when I tried to slash at it.

Its lightweight frame, which allowed it to easily dodge my swings, quickly became a deadly detriment to it when my claws finally sank into its fur and slammed it to the ground. I leapt upon its back, sinking my teeth into its squirming neck, when suddenly its fur shimmered, the spots smoothing themselves into a tan brown, and my mouth filled with an immense amount of shaggy black and brown mane. The lion beneath me was now twice as heavy as me, and easily threw me off its back and jumped to its feet. 

I screamed my anger at having my victory stolen, leaping for its unprotected face. The lion reared up and met me head on, teeth gnashing and roars filling the air. We fought a deadly battle, but its weight and strength were far greater than mine, even with my supernatural strength. With a final heave, it shoved me back into a tree. Once again I righted myself, growing ever more impatient at my foe, but when I looked back up there was no longer a lion in the clearing.

There was a fucking elephant. And it was angry as hell.

I turned to flee as it trumpeted a terrible call, but a strong trunk wrapping around my midsection and hoisting me in the air was something I was completely unprepared for. As I was tossed away hard like a rag doll, I didn't even have time to think before a tree entered my field of vision at much too high a velocity for my comfort.

==>

I woke with a strange pounding in my head, the last dregs of sleep clinging to my eyes. Daylight shone brightly through a window, chasing dream fragments away all too quickly. My mouth was extremely dry, and my stomach growled with hunger.

"Finally awake, my dear?" I heard a familiar voice ask. I looked over to see Kurloz clomping around on his little goat legs again. He walked towards me from across the small, rustic, one-roomed home we were in, carrying a bowl of stew in one hand and a glass of water in the other.

"I feel like death," I announced, "my head is killing me." I placed a pillow gently on my face to keep the light from assaulting my eyes anymore.

"Are you hungry?" he asked again. "I'm sure you are, you really overexerted yourself last night. Here you go, eat up." He handed me the bowl and water, a big grin on his face.

"Thanks. What happened?" I asked, my fatigue causing slow movements as I began to eat.

I jumped as the little door slammed open, though Kurloz seemed unfazed. "I'll tell ya wwhat tha fuck happened," came an angry voice. In strode a trio of newcomers, led by a very pompous looking asshole wearing a dark purple form fitting button up jacket and a blue striped scarf. His blue pinstripe pants were accentuated by the gold and sapphire rings on his fingers. He was tall, wore thick black glasses, and had a stripe of purple through his short black hair. The scowl on his face was directed at me.

Pushing past these two was a blonde girl, wearing a pink striped scarf that was pretty much identical to the scowling man's, but with her high beam smile directed at me she was infinitely cuter in it. She wore a white ruffle blouse over a pink pleated skirt, pink knee high stockings, and a pink bow in her hair.

Last but not least was Dave, still wearing his ripped skinnies, red flannel, and beanie, who came and stood at my side, smiling at me. "Wassup, kitten," he said. "I brought friends."

"Kitten?" I echoed, confused.

"You," snapped the angry newcomer. I distantly recognized his voice and demeanor from the hospital. "Almost killed someone. An it wwasn't evven tha full moon yet. You need ta learn ta fuckin control yourself."

"Hey, Eridan, lay off maybe?" The cute blonde one interjected, rolling her eyes. "She's a carnivore, you know the change is always harder to control for them, and it was her first time too. It was just a fluke that there was a human this far into the woods.

"By the way, Jade, I'm Roxy," she stage whispered to me with a wink, hand around the side of her mouth. I laughed.

"Plus I seem to remember a certain someone doing quite a bit worse than that at least more than once," Kurloz added smoothly. Roxy tittered loudly.

"Shut the fuck up Roxy, an Kurloz, that wwas fuckin different. This girl needs ta get a hold a her animal, or she'll be too dangerous."

"Who the hell are you? And what are you talking about?" I demanded. His face began to turn red.

"I'm Eridan Ampora, fourth son a the Grand Highblood. I'm shifter royalty, so wwatch your tone, newwbie," he glowered. 

"Eridan," Kurloz interjected, "calm yourself, brother. Your concern is understandable, but you need not worry. I have the situation in hand. With a little practice, I believe she will make a fine shifter." The side of his mouth quirked up in a smile.

Eridan's scowl deepened. "Kurloz, if you're really gonna let her run around, doin what evver the fuck she wwants, she may-"

Kurloz's eyes flashed red, his teeth growing sharper and voice coming out in a snarl. "I trust you will have nothing but the utmost confidence in the way I deal with my own people, brother," he said icily, taking a step towards Eridan. "However, if you continue to insist on questioning the leadership of my tribe, then I suggest you take your own people and leave immediately." The unspoken threat lingered in the air like a bad smell.

Eridan stepped back, his body posture submissive as he rolled his eyes and tried to make it look like he was still in control without being threatening. "Fine, Kurloz, have it your own wway then," he said, much less snarkily than before. He shot a side glare at me before turning and making his way out the door. As it slammed shut behind him, Roxy let out a ringing peal of laughter.

"Damn, Kurloz, way to burst his fragile ego," she giggled. "I haven't seen him that cowed since Porrim threatened to cut his hair off if he didn't stop hunting in her territory."

"I think Ponyboy over there is having a little trouble staying golden," Dave said, and everyone laughed.

"I'm confused, is he a horse?" I asked.

Roxy made a flippant gesture. "Nah, Eridan's a first shifter, like Kurloz. They're the offspring of the moon and Grand Highblood themselves, the ones who were cursed by the sun thousands of years ago. They aren't bound to one form like the rest of us."

"Yeah, and they're the leaders of the various groups," Dave added, "different tribes of shifters from all over the world. Like Eridan said, they're royalty, in a way. And Kurloz was the firstborn, so he's the top dog."

"Or the top goat," finished Roxy, and they both laughed.

Kurloz smiled. "Though I'm glad you see me as a leader, I'm more of a teacher than a ruler. Also, my chosen form is a stag, not a goat."

"What animal was I?" I asked. Dave raised an eyebrow at Kurloz, and Roxy cleared her throat.

"Jade, your animal is something special," Kurloz said. "In all my millennia of living, I have never seen another shifter with the same form you have taken. Though because of this, I want you to meet with the Oracle. I am sure she will be interested to see your animal aspect, as I am also sure you are."

"But what am I?" I asked impatiently.

"I think we'll let you figure that one out on your own," Roxy interjected, cutting off Kurloz as he opened his mouth to respond. Dave snorted. "It's more fun that way!"

"What!" I cried. "Come on guys, I want to know! That's not cool, Roxy," I said, mock glaring at her as she burst into giggles. I looked imploringly at Dave, who just shrugged.

"Don't look at me," he said, a smirk on his face. "Roxy's a big cat, if I tell you she'll probably eat my tiny bird self. Like a goddamn cat with a canary."

"Damn straight!" She shouted, throwing an arm over his shoulder and laughing again.

I turned my pleading gaze on Kurloz, whose eyes only twinkled as he laughed at me too. "If you want to know what your animal is, you should attempt the change yourself. You turned last night, but your head injury probably gave you some fuzzy memories, didn't it?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "I remember chasing someone, and getting into a fight with a lion, and then an elephant, but not much else."

Dave suddenly barked a single laugh. "Kurloz, you kicked her ass in elephant form? Tavros will be jealous."

"It was what needed to be done," Kurloz said, giving me an apologetic look. "I knew you would heal, it was all I could do at the time. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I assured him. "My headache's already gone away, no big deal." I moved the covers back and stepped out of bed. The wooden floorboards were cold on my bare feet, and the black nightgown I was wearing was definitely not mine. "Where are my clothes, though?"

Dave chuckled as Roxy gave me a sympathetic look.

"You're gonna need to talk to Kanaya about that," she said. "Normal clothes are usually destroyed when we change, but she's found a way to enchant fabric to change with us instead of rip."

"In fact," added Kurloz, "Kanaya was alerted to your plight this morning and has already begun the task of crafting you a new outfit, complete with magical enchantments. She has assured me that in the future this situation will be avoided in its entirety. She has let me know that she will be along to your residence the moment it is completed, but in the meantime feel free to ask around the Glade for an extra outfit."

"What's the Glade?" I asked, and he smiled warmly at me. His hand found its way into mine and he led me to the door, the others trailing behind.

"This is the Glade," he said, pushing the door open. Bright sunlight greeted me as I stepped past him and outside into a clearing much larger than the one from last night. Arranged in a semicircle were half a dozen cabins, including the one I had just exited, centered around a large fire pit. The ground jutted out over the forest in a sharp cliff edge, with the ground sloping down to meet the base of the forest some fifty yards away. A sparse amount of trees were dotted here and there, and large multicolored hammocks were strung up between ones that grew close enough to reach. Two or three people sat in the hammocks, but a few held animals as well. Blankets and pillows were arranged around the fire, again populated with a mixture of human and animal. Multicolored lights were strung across the trees and wrapped around trunks, along with ornate wooden statues, some still in the process of being carved. A beaver waddled its cute plump self around the base of one that looked half finished as I watched.

Birds of every shape and size were perched everywhere, flying around, riding atop shoulders and heads. Animals and humans alike ran laughing in circles, climbed trees, took naps in the sun. A radio somewhere played music, and a few people were dancing to the beat.

"This looks like a summer camp," I said. "But everyone here is an adult."

"It's not usually like this," said Dave.

"It's cause tonight's the full moon," added Roxy. "Most of these people live pretty far away, there's only ever ten or twenty of us that live here permanently. Plus a few other first shifters are here with their own tribes. Tonight's kind of a holiday for us." She waved at a group of girls sitting in a circle and petting a lioness. They called her over with smiling faces, offering cakes and candies.

"It was nice to meet you, Jade!" She said, walking over to them. "I'll keep in touch when we get back to the real world!" A quick shimmer, and suddenly a jet black panther was loping towards the girls in the circle. 

"The Glade is a sanctuary for the whole region's shapeshifting population," began Kurloz. "It is the easiest way to endure the horrors of losing all humanity without hurting any humans. We have various spell casters here, who weave specialized enchantments for just this purpose. They keep the humans out, the shifters in, and upon the breaking of the dawn, they dissipate."

He turned towards me. "Not much time remains before sundown, child. I would like you to seek the council of the Oracle before your next change, as well as let your family know you will not be returning home tonight."

Though I wished I could turn again before night and experience my animal side before I lost myself in instinct, the closeness of the sun to the tree line past the cliff proved it would indeed soon be dark. "Who is this Oracle?" I asked.

"She is a first shifter, though she has no tribe of her own to lead. She comes and goes wherever she feels she is needed, and for the time being she lives in the cave at the base of the cliff. She may not tell you your future, but she will always give you what is needed most." Kurloz gestured down the slope. "Go that way, turn to the right. Her cave is right there."

"I can show you how to get there," volunteered Dave, walking past me down the hill, and Kurloz nodded.

"Hurry, Jade; there is less than an hour until the sun sets." He made a shooing motion and I waved goodbye, following Dave down the angled slope.

We walked past the partying people, past the tree line and around to the base of the cliff. It was probably only thirty or forty feet high, and we could still hear the laughter and music drifting down from above.

Embedded in the rock face was a dark opening, about ten feet tall, leading back into blackness farther than I could see. I could hear a faint shifting sound, like the slithering of scales or skin brushing together, some kind of barely audible sussuration. A slight draft came from the hole; carried upon it was strange scent.

This was where the Oracle lived? In a dark, creepy hole?

Dave nudged me forward with an elbow, hands securely in his pockets. "Don't worry; it looks creepy, but there's actually someone living in there. Go on, I have to get ready for tonight."

I gave him an irritated look, and he laughed as he turned and strode back up the grassy slope. "See ya later, Harley," he called over his shoulder.

"Bye," I said quietly, turning back to the inky blackness with trepidation. I steeled my resolve and walked forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha I'm keeping what she is a secret for a few more chapters hahaha I suck


	7. Magic 8 Ball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello it is I jombles notronbo
> 
> I bring a new update

The cave floor was moist, and I tried not to slip as I made my way deeper and deeper. The air was thick and heavy, some kind of musky undertone working its way into my extra sensitive nose. For the first time I noticed my new senses; everything was sharper and in more detail. I could smell hundreds of smells around me, from the littlest cave cricket to the bats on the ceiling, and something new further up ahead. My eyes pierced the darkness of the cave as if they were flashlights, though the further I got from the light outside the less even I could see. Everything caught my attention, every drip of water, every exhale of every creature in my vicinity. 

Soon I had gone far enough that the light from outside was no longer visible at all, and I was forced to navigate with my other senses alone. More than once did I have to suddenly stop myself when I felt the ground under my probing toes suddenly drop off, the sound of rushing water far below promising eternity in this godforsaken cave.

Eventually the cloying scents I had smelled what seemed like hours ago but what was probably only minutes grew noticeably stronger, and I could detect a glimmer of light.  
It was a very low light, a dark purple, but as I drew closer even its meager shine allowed me to view my surroundings again.

I hurried forward as fast as I could, the terror of being lost in blackness forever outweighing any trepidation I had for the light source. I would just have to pray that it was my destination, and be done with it.

I rounded one last corner, nearly slipping on the wet floor as I came to a very confused stop. In front of me, in a hole cut into the rock face, was a large wooden door, intricately carved out of heavy oak. Across its face were sets of runes that I had never seen before. It had no handle I could see. On the wall above the door was a torch, its purple flame the source of my saving light. 

Should I just...knock? I wondered, and then decided that, yes, this was the best course of action. Even if the oracle wasn't the only thing in this cave, at least I could ask to borrow a light to help me find the entrance again.

I steeled my resolve and knocked three times. A second or two passed, then the door swung slowly inward, the creak of rusty hinges grating on my already frayed nerves. I took that as an invitation to enter, but the room beyond was as dark as the rest of the cave had been.

Not wanting the door to close behind me with the only light, I removed the torch from its sconce. It was heavy, made of iron, and as complex in its design as the door. It had no visible candle, and the flame remained steady even when I swished it around. It didn't move, didn't sway, didn't flicker.

At least it won't be blown out unexpectedly, I thought to myself, stepping into the room. The door shut slowly behind me, but this time I had to fight the urge to dive back out. The room was pitch black, even to my eyes, even with the light in my hand. I could only see where the light was casting a glow of about three feet in diameter around me, and nothing else.

I moved away from the door, slowly swinging my light to look for anything around me. Turkish carpets were laid on the floor, and large, comfortable looking pillows congregated in piles centered around a small stove burning nothing but strong incense. I spotted a candle in a stand three feet tall, and made to light it with my torch. 

"Nay, cannot the light be seen by mortal eyes," I heard in a whisper from above me. I jumped, nearly letting out a scream, and whirled to face the speaker.

Hanging from the ceiling was what looked like a moving bundle of soft leather. The folds parted slightly, and a hairy clawed leg reached for the ground, followed by another, and another. The leather unfurled as all eight legs settled on the ground, revealing large, black bat wings, eight spider legs each half as tall as me, and the torso of a beautiful woman perched between the two, a giant thorax behind her.

She stared at me with piercing eyes, her blonde hair a shimmering purple in the meager light from my flame. Her black dress settled over her spider legs in midnight waves, broken only by the pink ribbon wrapped around her waist. Her head almost brushed the ceiling, some ten feet tall, and her imposing visage was doing nothing to assuage my anxiety.

"You're not a human," she spoke at last, eyeing me up and down.

It was hard to find my voice, but finally I cleared my throat. "No, I'm a new shifter," I informed her, managing not to let my voice crack.

"Oh, good!" She suddenly laughed, a smile that showed genuine happiness growing on her face. "That means I don't have to scare the shit out of you." She continued chuckling as she produced a striped wand from the folds of her dress and waved it around the room. Warm yellow light flared to life from all corners of the room, revealing an extremely cozy, homely looking space. The carpets and pillows were much more numerous than I had realized at first, joined by tapestries hung on the walls and candles of every shape, size, and color on every flat surface, of which there were many. Bottles full of colorful potions sat everywhere, ingredients hung on the walls and from the ceiling, and a big black cauldron dominated the center of the space. One wall was taken up entirely by what seemed to be spell books, and on a low table with pillows for chairs sat a crystal ball, its cloudy contents shifting and occasionally flashing muted colors.

"My name is Rose," she spoke. "I'm the fifth child of the Grand Highblood, and I'm also known as the Oracle. Please, sit. I might be able to tell your future." She gestured at the little table. 

I set the torch back into another wall sconce, then sat on some of the comfiest pillows I've ever felt. Rose took what was more or less a seat across from me, her spider legs lowering until her thorax lay on the ground. 

"What is your name?" she asked, leaning down and plucking the crystal ball from its holder on the table. She tossed it up in the air, and there it hovered, in front of her face and six feet off the ground. The smoke within it was swirling faster now, like a confined hurricane interspersed with colorful lightning.

"Jade Harley."

"Alright Jade, don't move," she ordered. She grew very still, and didn't speak for a minute. I began to notice the room growing dark again, and as I looked I could see unnatural shadows creeping their way up the walls and across the floor towards her. When they reached their destination they crawled up her legs and over her skin, turning it grey. A black aura clung about her being as she opened her eyes, revealing milky white beacons staring out from her lids. Shadows swirled around her, faster and faster, until it seemed as if a tornado was in the room. Papers and books were whipped up in the frenzy, to go flying about in circles above our heads.

When she spoke next, it was as if she had three distinct voices: her own; one much deeper than hers, that sounded as if it were shouting; and a third that was quietly whispering an ancient language underneath the others, yet over the ruckus it was the most distinct of the three.

"When the stars come falling down  
And their voices ring like thunder  
The silver child, the ghostly child  
Will tear the world asunder

To the depths and to the skies  
Things are not as they seem  
And all the while her gentle whispers  
Guide the child's dreams

Both up above, and down below  
A labyrinthine maze  
Yet help between is far and few  
Under his jagged gaze

If her quest is not complete  
Things will become quite dour  
The stars, the sky, earth, sun, and moon  
Will see their final hour."

At the last word, the crystal ball suddenly shattered, and I had to throw my hands over my face to avoid being struck by the debris. When I glanced back up, Rose was slumped over, unconscious. The grey had begun to seep from her face, her skin regaining its healthy glow. The black shadows faded out slowly, and when the lights were once again flaring and the heavy atmosphere had lifted, she jerked awake.

"Oh my," she said, rubbing her head. "What happened? I've never felt like that after a reading."

"You mean...you don't remember that?" I asked, confusion in my tone. "Any of it?"

"No, not at all. Why, what did I say?"

"I...I can't really remember, it was so strange," I said, struggling to recall. "Something about a ghost child, and a quest, and I think you talked about the world ending and the sky falling down. It got really dark, and your skin turned grey, there was a tornado, and you broke your crystal ball," I finished, gesturing to the pieces of it laying everywhere and the general state of the room.

Her face turned dark. "You say I turned grey, and there were shadows?" she asked, a dangerous tone in her voice.

"Um...yes?"

She cursed, and stood, wings flapping lightly. "The creatures who grant my abilities are gods," she began. "Horrific beings that reside somewhere outside of our dimension. It is possible they used me as a vessel to speak to you, though I can't confirm, as it has never happened to me before. Nevertheless, try to remember what I said, and take it to heart. It will no doubt be of great importance, especially if it spoke of the end of the world.

"Now come," she said, gesturing towards the door. "Night approaches fast, and I must cast the containment spells before the moon rises." I stood, and followed her back out into the rest of the cave, trying to recall and memorize all I had heard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha you guys
> 
> You don't know what's going to happen
> 
> you don't know all that the poem means
> 
> BUT I DOOOOO MWAHAHA


	8. First Time, Be Gentle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been too long since I updated, I really hate this chapter but I'm just trying to get it down so I can move on to the next one. Here you go, the big reveal and all that shit.

We emerged from the cave to find the sunlight no longer pouring through the trees. Streaks of pink and purple were strung across the sky in a beautiful sunset, and on the other side of the sky stars were already beginning to shine through.

"It's a lot closer to sunset than I realized," Rose said. "I have to hurry. I'll meet you there." With a little wave her spider half was gone, and she was a bat, flapping her wings wildly to fly away as quickly as possible.

As she ascended, she passed a large puffy brown owl that was flying down to meet me. It seemed to be falling more than actually flying, struggling as it was with the bundle in its claws. It hooted as it neared, flapping its wings frantically to keep airborne. I reached out and it dropped the bundle in my hands.

With a grateful hoot, it transformed into a beautiful young woman with short jet black hair, in a black ruffle dress with lime green accents. "Thank you," she spoke, enunciating each word as if it were the beginning of a new sentence. "Those clothes were just a little bit too heavy. We may be strong in our animal forms, but birds are relatively frail creatures to begin with.

"I am Kanaya," she continued, inclining her head to me. "And you are Jade, I know. These are your enchanted clothes; you should put them on before your change. Hurry, there is not much time and we must get to the monuments, to facilitate an easier turn for you."

She gestured to the cave entrance. I walked in just under the awning and began to strip. The fabric she had brought me was a shimmery silver dress, like molten starlight, that flowed between my fingers with a tantalizing softness I had never encountered. I changed quickly, grabbing my old clothes under my arm and following her down the mountain, away from the camp.

As we walked, birds were circling the sky above our heads, cawing and screeching at the sunset. None seemed like native species. Animal cries sounded out all around us, growling, snarling, howling. From far off I heard the elephant trumpet again, such a distinct sound against the symphonic cacophony filling the air. Kanaya took me by the wrist and wordlessly hurried me forward.

We came upon the clearing just as the sun disappeared beneath the tree line. The tallest of the monuments stood above the tree tops, silhouetted against the purple sky. Animals and people filled the clearing, most gone silent. Now only the occasional bark or murmur could be heard. 

Eridan, Rose, and Kurloz stood in the center circle, along with another female I had not met before. Eridan and Rose stood back to back, hands raised in front, what looked like wands held aloft. They both seemed to be muttering, and every once in a while a jet of light would flash from the tips of their wands and fly off into the sky, only to explode like a firework and shower the forest with sparkles and the smell of clean smoke.

Kurloz stood a few feet from them, watching, with the woman at his side. She had long, beautifully curled black hair, fangs, and emerald tattoos swirling over her whole skin, tattoos that shimmered like his. From her head rose two long, thin horns, swept back in a gentle curve away from her face. Her eyes snapped to mine, and with a word to him, alerted him to our arrival. They beckoned me over to them and I left Kanaya behind at the tree line. The hieroglyphs were pulsing gently, and the smell of ozone was thick in the air. Little jets of white lightning flashed randomly between monuments, not seeming to affect the birds or other animals sitting atop them. 

"Jade," Kurloz said, giant smile on his face. He put his arm around my shoulder and hugged me against his side. "Are you ready?" 

The sky was turning dark quickly, and one by one stars were twinkling into existence. The creatures around us were shifting, restless, holding their collective breaths as we scanned the horizon for the brilliance of the full moon. Finally, the sky was mostly black, dark enough to see on the other horizon a halo of shimmering light, heralding the arrival of the moon. 

A single cry sounded, far to my left. A pained scream, carried on the air and immediately echoed by more and more people. The moon's edge shone its damning light across the clearing, and everyone was screaming.

People bent over, various appendages bursting from their bodies and limbs twisting in different directions. On one side of me, Kurloz's skin was quickly being covered by shiny black scales, while on my other side, Rose and Eridan were both growing some form of grotesque wings, a mixture of bat and bird and something in between. My own voice joined the cacophony as I felt something burst from my lower back, my legs twisting backwards and silver fur exploding from my skin. Black rosettes swam into view, covering my whole body. My ears crawled up the sides of my head, turning pointy and furred. My face elongated, my teeth growing into sharp fangs. 

I screamed my hunter's cry, feeling my human mind fading and my animal mind taking over. I swished my long, thick tail and began to sprint towards the tree line. It would be a long night, and this snow leopard was hungry.

==>

I ran.

I ran for hours, searching for prey, for a real animal and not my brethren. I never stopped, the urge to rip, tear, kill urging me on, faster and faster. I gouged out huge claw marks in trees as I ran past, my marks scoring over dozens of other similar claw marks from hundreds of other shifters. The forest was alive with movement, all of it supernatural, all of it false, none of it satisfying to my carnivorous mind. I caught not one hint of real prey, only old scents from days before.

The area I ran was immense. The animals, varied. All of them were frustrated, all of them wanting nothing more than to destroy another living creature. All they could do was destroy everything around them. And so they did. 

They tore up the forest, breaking trees, digging holes, doing their best to raze the woods around them. Though we were strong, most didn't have the strength to do anything more than superficial damage, but when hundreds of claws scratch the same spot a tree can topple.

All of us were in our half forms. All of us were angry. All of us fought amongst ourselves, trying to alleviate the burning urge to cause death. As I was running, dodging bird-men of all sizes swooping down at me, a man ten feet tall with an elephant head and the biggest muscles I've ever seen blindsided me with his trunk. I flipped to my feet, snarling. I had had enough of elephants to last a fucking lifetime. 

His trumpeting rang in my ears, and the second time I dodged, darting around behind him. He turned too slowly and I leapt up on his back, tearing a chunk out of his neck. My claws left big bloody gashes as I leapt from his back to the ground, sprinting away. I could hear his angry trumpeting from behind me, feel displaced air. I leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding being struck by a huge tree he had apparently ripped from the ground. 

I lost him in the trees, his heavy footfalls fading away as the distance between us increased. I knew I was heading towards the monument clearing again when I could hear the heavy sounds of battle from up ahead. The earth seemed to shake, and loud roars sounded deep in my bones. Whatever it was, it would make a fine opponent. I sprinted even faster, eager to see what could cause such a racket.

When I reached the clearing, however, I almost turned back around and ran the other way.

In the center of the clearing a mighty black dragon towered ominously. Moonlight glittered off its shimmering scales, and seemed to suck the light out of everywhere around it. Its wings were enormous, easily larger than the clearing itself when they opened fully. With every massive beat, air howled against me and threatened to throw me back. Its maw opened and spewed thick gusts of flame into the sky, trying to burn the bird men flying around its face to a crisp. Its roars shook the earth. Its claws, each one twice my size, gouged deep furrows into the dirt beneath it. Its eyes held nothing but death. 

The hair on my back stood up, and I let out a low hiss. The damned thing was covered in shifters, each fighting and biting it as best they could. It was flinging them aside as if they were nothing but rag dolls. Half animals pushed past me, running towards the fray. I slunk forward, using the distractions the others were so generously providing to sneak around behind it. 

It raised its tail, swinging it like a whip at the flying shifters. Most were too fast for it, but one with all black feathers didn't move quick enough and was smacked right out of the air. With a deafening screech, it tried to flap its clearly broken wings, but came tumbling down, landing with a sickening crunch. Feathers stuck out at odd angles and it lay in the dirt, groaning.

Dodging heavy footfalls large enough to crush me too, plus other shifters that had the same desire to take it down, I jumped for the thing's tail. I held on as tightly as possible with my claws as it swung me through the air. Luckily the dragon was preoccupied with the others attacking it, else I'm certain it would have noticed and thrown me off easily.

Paw-hand over paw-hand I climbed until I was on its back, from which I easily made my way up to its neck. Now it had definitely noticed me, as I was the only one up this far. It tried to shake me off, roaring and spewing intense jets of fire when I clung to its scales. It reached up with massive claws to rip me from its skin.

Thinking quickly, I jumped from its neck to its hand, using it as a springboard to leap right to its face. Its roars reached an exponential level as I swiped my own razor sharp claws across its eye.

Great gashes split the surface, and though I scrabbled for purchase on its face it grabbed me and threw me, hard, to the ground, screaming all the while. I tried to run but it pinned me to the ground, opening its giant maw to incinerate me with one great hot blast of fire. I could see down its throat, the light of my demise growing from its stomach, flames licking its nostrils, smell my hair beginning to singe in the heat-

Suddenly it stopped, and looked away from me over the tree line- to where the sun was beginning to rise.

As quickly as everything had started before, everyone was screaming again. Writhing and twisting, we all changed swiftly back into our human forms. Bird people fell from the sky, their wings suddenly too small to carry them aloft, and crashing hard into the earth. The giant dragon quickly shrunk, black scales becoming emerald tattoos that swirled over olive skin, and soon Kurloz lay passed out on the grass, gashes all over his body. Shifters passed out where they stood, the change back proving too much for their human bodies. I was not exempt; as soon as I was able to stop screaming I welcomed the rest unconsciousness offered and fell asleep in the middle of the sunlit clearing.


End file.
